The strike had a widespread effect across the city, including halting refuse and finance collection; closing down many schools; and posttponing burials. Street cleaners, grave diggers, housing officers, and bin men who withdrew their labour stand to lose up to £5,000, putting some of them on £12,000. But it was a reluctant step by workers, not least because Coventry people will suffer, on top of which they lose a days wages. It was a strike for justice and fairness striking means losing more income - but it was all they could now do to get justice.

Sohan Singh, Secretary of Coventry Unison, expressed the feelings of many when he spoke at the sun-drenched mid-day rally outside the Council house. “We apologize to [the people of] Coventry, because we have to take action with a heavy heart”, he admitted, reflecting the feelings of long-suffering, hard working council staff, whose good will has achieved top services in Coventry has been slashed by selfish and cavalier senior management.

However, the mood of the crowd was resolute, and determined; the overwhelming feeling of solidarity between unions, workers, and supporters was tangible. John Swift, Secretary of Coventry Trades Union Council, with a lifetimes work in Coventry industry behind him, gave his support in a speech of a few powerful words. “ Reject this wrong idea of single status!”, and declared, “Unity Is Strength:” the watchwords of Coventry Trade Unions Council of which he has recently become secretary in his retirement.

At least 2,000 will lose, more, in the long term, if the ceiling on new pay scales is considered and the loss of weekend overtime and shift allowances. . Cllr. Dave Nellist pointed out the injustice being meted out to the low paid, including many women, such as the cleaners who stand to have their hourly rate reduced. He added “66 workers are promised a £5,000 rise to be paid for by 62 who must take equivalent.

This was what Socialist Party Councilor, Karen McKay, called: “Robbing Peter to pay Paul”, in the Council debate a few months ago, in which a Conservative Party majority sheepishly voted through this pay cutting package crafted by Chief executive, Stella “Machete” Manzie. A nickname shouted, as she tried to sneak unnoticed into the council house after the rally.

However the day wasn’t about speeches, although they were short and pointed. It was about the workers and the power of their solidarity. They made their way back to picked lines which had been manned city-wide since the early morning and had persuaded many non-union members not to work.

I spoke to Christine Mc Closkey, who was a gainer yet fully supported her colleagues who stranded to lose between £3,000 - £8,000. She related how the Union had been there for her when she needed them. From experience, she doubted whether the City Council would listen and return to the negotiating table, even after two further days of strike planned for next week. However, she was prepared to go further, and did not appear to be contemplating defeat.

She like many others workers feel instead of dealing with unequal pay, this package did the opposite. It was unfair, and mostly imposed cuts, but the gainers would support their colleagues, friends, and the hard-working families who could take a huge cut in their standard of living and loser their mortgaged homes in some cases.



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The T&G; UNISON; and the smallest Trade Union, GMB/apex, the only one not striking but carrying out a work to rule yesterday, which, incidentally caused a migration of members to Unison, have impressed their members at how they have handled the dispute, and as a consequence have gained hundreds of new members.

More industrial action is planned with strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. This escalation to a 24-hour strike seems to have already had an effect. John Bolton, Director of Social Services, said:” I think there is a growing recognition that the vast majority of staff wants to sort this out. ... We are still having negotiating ... “.

In the Coventry Evening Telegraph today Unison corporate negotiator Richard Harty added, “The truth is there have been no meetings [with any unions] at all. They've been cancelled by management.” This gave backbone to Unison’s earlier dismissive terse statement claiming Bolton was talking “absolute codswallop.”, although some consider codswallop from management is better than nothing at all - progress perhaps!


Unions and workers are organising an on going work to rule, which Carole Vale, Manager of Bell-Green Library said will be more difficult to do than going on strike, because library users will suffer. Goodwill in some services, like libraries, can cover the greater part of a days work, where staff often go to great trouble and beyond what is required to provide help and service. Work to rule will also hit management targets, which is how they measure their success in often-meaningless figures. But management responsible for delivering good services will be worried, manly about their promotion and bonus prospects.


Union officials and workers hope to force a change of mind by city Council by the industrial action - so they return to negotiations. Many have been shocked by the employer’s tactics since “Single Status’ - fair pay for women and low paid workers - doesn’t not have to be implemented until 2007, and that there is nothing fair about what has been unilaterally decided. It has been described as “Immoral”.


It turns out to be the biggest show of action in years, in the City’s longest industrial dispute, backed by Unions again showing the power entrusted in them by their members. It would be intelligent if such a show of solidarity and support made top council officials think again.

This means Stella Manzie must lift the June 1 deadline and return to the negotiating table to address the losers concerns, or face the united action of Coventry workers. It appears that would be folly. She must digest that some could lose their homes; there will be no more family holidays for some; the quality of life of many will fall; and the moral and goodwill of the council’s workers will evaporate, and consequently the quality of services will be decimated. Local campaigner Harold Hamlet later added “It’s an obvious no -brainier, really. Init?”